Landmark study sheds light on Australians sleeping rough

Published yesterday by the Centre for Social Impact and the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (AAEH), The Ending Homelessness in Australia: An Evidence and Policy Deep Dive report uses 20,953 survey responses from people who have come into contact with homelessness services across Australia over the past 10 years.

The result is a comprehensive picture of who is experiencing homelessness, the issues they are facing, and a five-step national plan that experts believe will solve the problem once and for all.

Named after an international movement that aims to end homelessness, the report presents findings from the Advance to Zero homelessness database, covering over 20,000 people experiencing homelessness in Australia’s cities.

This database also includes a mechanism to track individuals as they move through the system, which researchers believe will deepen understanding of the circumstances that lead someone into homelessness in the first place.

Out of all survey respondents, 35 per cent were sleeping rough and 44 per cent were in temporary accommodation or short-term accommodation. The average amount of time they reported experiencing homelessness was 3.8 years. For families, it was 1.9 years.

As well as providing a deep dive analysis into the current state of homelessness, the report recommends a series of actions to end homelessness, starting with the roll-out of a national end homelessness strategy, an increase in social and affordable housing options and commitment from all levels of government.